Development of the Strategy for the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine for 2027–2029 | EU4Reconstruction Stream 2 

General background 

EU4Reconstruction. The European Union (EU), together with Denmark, Germany, France and Lithuania, launched EU4Reconstruction, a €37 million Team Europe Initiative (TEI) that unites the strength, experience and solidarity of the EU to support Ukraine’s ongoing recovery and reconstruction. 

The initiative aims to strengthen governance, improve public investment management, and enhance coordination across levels of government, with a strong emphasis on EU values. The TEI is divided into two parallel streams; one stream is composed of GIZ (Lead Organisation) and Expertise France (Partner Organisation), and the other gathers the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Lead Organisation) and Central Project Management Agency (Partner Organisation). 

EU4Reconstruction will reinforce the leadership of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development (MCTD or the Ministry), strengthen the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure (SARDI or Agency), empower local governments to manage reconstruction professionally and sustainably, and support civil society and independent media to play an active role in oversight, ensuring public trust and reducing corruption risks. 

The Programme will strengthen the policy dialogue around reconstruction and recovery and will focus in particular on the governance of public investment management, public infrastructure management at national, regional and local levels and how to link this with necessary capacity development to make the system work. Part of this process will ensure that the stakeholders in the programme and their policy and regulatory setup are prepared for EU accession. This will, in particular, ensure resources are allocated effectively, transparently, accountably and with broad inclusion in infrastructure planning and execution, reflecting the subsidiarity principle. 

Denmark, together with Lithuania, implements Stream 2 of the EU4Reconstruction programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of the SARDI and its subordinated entities to act as contracting authority and project implementation unit for major reconstruction projects. 

This assignment concerns Output 2 of Stream 2 of the EU4Reconstruction: SARDI has the capacity to operate as a transparent, efficient, and EU-compliant institution, effectively managing sustainable and accountable reconstruction efforts, and more specifically, sub-output 2.1 “Strategy formulated, and support facilitated for reforming SARDI aligned with GoU priorities and revisit the mandate of institutions and the relationship with the CPO, PMG, RORs, NIDI to reflect their role in reconstruction and enhance the effectiveness and accountabilities of the full institution and RORs”. 

SARDI and its ecosystem. SARDI was established by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, dated 13 January 2023. It was created through the renaming of the State Road Agency of Ukraine and the merger with the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects. 

SARDI is structured around a central authority in Kyiv and a broad network of regional and subordinate entities, including 24 Regional Offices for Restoration and Infrastructure Development (the RORs), Project Management Group for Recovery SoE (the PMG), 13 other subordinate state enterprises and institutes, including the National Institute for Infrastructure Development (NIDI). A newly created Central Procurement Organisation (CPO), launched in April 2025, is designed to become the centre of expertise for construction procurement. The CPO faces underfunding and severe understaffing, limiting its ability to standardise and scale procurement processes. 

These units form a complex ecosystem with varying degrees of maturity and capacity. Many systemic bottlenecks—including unclear division of roles between SARDI central office, CPO, RORs, PMG and SOEs—result in fragmented workflows, inconsistent project preparation quality, and delays in execution. 

In addition, SARDI established an advisory council of external international experts to oversee the implementation of the Agency and provide recommendations for enhanced integrity processes and effectiveness (the International Advisory Council). 

SARDI is currently responsible for prioritization, planning and implementation of road infrastructure projects, as well as implementation of other reconstruction projects delegated by the Cabinet of Ministers (municipal infrastructure, energy infrastructure protection, etc.). 

The efficiency of SARDI’s ecosystem remains limited, as its internal structure and governance model have not evolved in line with its expanded mandate. The Agency is now expected to plan, prepare, and implement complex, multi-sector reconstruction programmes, while many of its operational mechanisms still reflect the legacy of a traditional road-sector institution. 

SARDI is also expected to develop its capacities within the national Public Investment Management (PIM) framework, ensuring that its projects are well conceptualised, appraised and designed before implementation. However, in practice, SARDI still receives many projects with incomplete preparation, unrealistic budgets, or unclear scopes—transferring upstream risks directly into implementation. This creates a cycle of delays, variations and cost increases, affecting both performance and public trust. 

Furthermore, treating SARDI primarily as an implementing agency effectively transfers the risks of weak project preparation—including inadequate scoping, incomplete designs, missing permits, and unrealistic budgets—to the implementation stage. Once contracts are signed, these shortcomings translate into design changes, time extensions, and cost increases, creating a cycle of inefficiency that undermines both delivery performance and credibility. As a result, SARDI is often held accountable for outcomes determined by upstream deficiencies it could neither influence nor control. This situation leads to delays, cost escalation, reputational damage, and 

ultimately weakens value for money and public trust, preventing SARDI from performing its intended role as a centre of excellence and trusted government partner in strategic recovery. 

This structural imbalance can only be corrected by formalising SARDI’s role at the early stages of the PIM cycle, especially for projects of national importance. Establishing clear procedural links and communication mechanisms between SARDI, MCTD, the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Ministry of Economy (MoE), and the Strategic Investment Council will ensure that projects are properly conceptualised, appraised, and designed before implementation. 

Since its establishment in 2023, SARDI has been subject to a series of technical assessments and institutional reviews aimed at identifying inefficiencies in its organizational structure, operational model, core processes, IT. Among them, a 2025 review conducted by EY with financing from the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) provided an in-depth analysis of the SARDI ecosystem and proposed a revised organizational model, including a clarified distribution of functions and responsibilities among key ecosystem entities—RORs, PMUs, CPO and NIDI. EUACI also supported conceptualizing and launch of operations of CPO, laying the foundation for a centralized, transparent, and efficient procurement function within the SARDI ecosystem.Against this backdrop, the development of a comprehensive Strategy is essential to realign SARDI’s mandate, governance, and operating model with its expanded responsibilities and the realities of large-scale recovery and reconstruction. A formally approved Strategy is required to clarify roles and accountabilities across SARDI and its ecosystem, eliminate structural overlaps, and establish a coherent division of functions between policy, advisory, preparation, and implementation activities. It will provide a single, authoritative framework to embed SARDI’s role at the early stages of the PIM cycle, strengthen coordination with MCTD, MoF, MoE, and the Strategic Investment Council, and ensure that projects entering implementation are conceptually sound, technically mature, and fiscally realistic. The Strategy shall enable SARDI to transition from a predominantly implementer-driven model to a centre of excellence for infrastructure and recovery delivery, improve value for money, reduce systemic risks, and restore confidence among government, development partners, and the public. 

In view of the above, the Agency – supported by the EU4Reconstruction – seeks for a Consultant who will help SARDI to develop the strategy to set a clear path for the next three-year period to operate as a transparent, efficient, and EU-compliant institution, effectively managing sustainable and accountable reconstruction efforts. 

Objective 

The objective of this assignment is to support SARDI in the development, formalisation, and approval of its strategy for 2027–2029 (Strategy), together with a corresponding action (operational) plan (Actional Plan) for its implementation. The Strategy shall be co-created with key stakeholders and developed in compliance with applicable legal acts, listed below. 

The Strategy shall define SARDI’s medium-term vision, mandate, priorities, and operating model, and ensure its effective positioning within Ukraine’s PIM system and EU integration framework. The Strategy shall integrate state policy objectives in recovery and EU integration with measurable results and financing sources, and shall cover: 

1. A clear definition of SARDI’s mission, vision, values, target mandate, strategic objectives, and priority focus areas; 
2. A target organisational and governance model, including a clear division of roles and responsibilities across SARDI’s central office, CPO, PMG, RORs, NIDI, and other subordinated SOEs; 
3. A purpose-driven target operating model embedding SARDI’s formal advisory, monitoring and quality-assurance functions across the full PIM cycle (including upstream project preparation and appraisal), rather than limiting its role to project implementation, thereby mitigating “implementer-only” risk transfer. 

The Strategy shall be complemented by an Action Plan, detailing organisational, procedural, and specific digital transformation priorities required for implementation. The Action Plan shall address capacity building, internal and external communication, and risk management, and shall include measures to ensure institutional integrity, full EU compliance, and implementation of pillar-assessment corrective actions, including alignment with EU and JASPERS-grade methodologies. 

Scope of Work 

The Contractor’s primary role is to support SARDI in the strategy development process by applying relevant international and national best practices, analytical tools, and facilitation methods. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks: 

• Hold a kick-off meeting with EU4Recostruction and SARDI. Develop a work plan and detailed methodology for the Strategy drafting process (steps, milestones, working / focus groups, workshops etc). Develop and propose the Strategy structure. 

• Identify key stakeholders and partners to be involved in the Strategy development process, their roles and impact to the Strategy development and implementation. 

• Conduct a series of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and/or workshops with key identified stakeholders (the Head of SARDI, Deputy Heads, department directors, International Advisory Board members, heads of key subordinated entities, representatives of the line Ministry and MoF, MoE, IFIs, development partners, and other identified relevant stakeholders). Separate attention should be paid to the IFIs’ expectations on SARDI. It is expected that no fewer than 25 interviews will be conducted. 
  
  The Consultant shall prepare and approve with EU4Reconstruction semi-structured interview protocols (Key Informant Interview Protocols) and Focus group guidelines (protocols) prior to starting the actual interviewing process. 
  
  The Consultant shall maintain transcripts/meeting summaries of each interview, workshop, etc. 
  
  The Consultant shall propose the format and details for the interviews, focus groups and / workshops in its Methodology. 

• Perform initial data gathering and analysis 
  a) Analyse the sufficiency of the mandate of SARDI, political/stakeholder authorisation, and resource allocation algorithms. 
  b) Review the SARDI ecosystem’s current governance model (structure). 
  c) Review the list of SARDI public investment projects included in the single state project pipeline.
  d) Collect and review data on the ongoing projects in the road and other sectors. 
  e) Analyze SARDI ecosystem operational model and its efficiency (HR, resources, processes, project delivery, etc.). 
  f) Analyse lessons learned from 2023 institutional merger processes; identify unrealised efficiencies and value-capture opportunities. 

The Consultant shall propose the format and details for data gathering in its Methodology. 

• Review Regulation on SARDI, Regulations on RORs, other legislation, reform and policy documents, applicable to SARDI mandate and activities, including in relation to the PIM system and under the Ukraine-EU association framework. 
  
• Review previous assessments, recommendations, structuring and reform reports relevant to SARDI (shall be requested from SARDI by the selected Consultant). In particular, the Consultant should review and integrate into draft strategy new organizational structure of the SARDI ecosystem and a new structure of SARDI RORs developed by EY under EUACI support in 2025. 
  
• Prepare Inception Report covering the results of initial data gathering and interviews as per tasks 2-6 above. 
  
• Organize at least one-day strategic planning session to synchronise SARDI, MCTD and other relevant identified stakeholders on key challenges and problems, finding solutions and choosing priorities. 
  
• Prepare the first draft of the Strategy in line with CMU Resolution No. 853-r and § 57 CMU Regulation. 
  
• Present and discuss the first draft of the Strategy with the Working Group to be established under the joint leadership of SARDI/MCTD. 
  
• Conduct at least one internal validation session for the SARDI team and a number of validation workshops/consultations with identified stakeholders, including the International Advisory Board, MCTD, MOF, MOE, IFIs, development partners, and key other identified stakeholders. 

• Collect, analyse and summarise feedback received as per tasks 10 and 11. Develop a document consolidating feedback received and acceptance/non-acceptance of the proposals to the draft Strategy. 

• Prepare the final version of the Strategy and the Action Plan. Prepare all required supporting documentation for the Strategy approval. 

• Provide support during the formal approval and adoption of the Strategy Support SARDI and MCTD internal coordination during the approval process. 
  
  a) Assist with the collection and integration of comments from other state authorities and public consultations. 
  b) Assist during refining the final Strategy, Action Plan and supporting documents for formal adoption by the competent authority (MCTD and/or CMU). 
  c) Prepare an agile Monitoring Tool that will focus on tracking the indicators at the outcome/strategic goals level. The tool shall allow monitoring key outcomes and tracking them on an annual and final basis. 

The Strategy shall be developed under the joint leadership of SARDI and MCTD, ensuring full institutional ownership by both entities. 

A Working Group, co-chaired by SARDI and MCTD, shall be established to support the development and validation of the Strategy. The Consultant shall participate in this Working Group and facilitate its operations. 

The Strategy shall be developed through iterative, co-creative consultations with SARDI’s International Advisory Board, composed of international experts in infrastructure and governance. The Consultant shall actively engage with the Advisory Board to ensure their strategic input, monitoring and verification of the Strategy for compliance with best international practices and EU acquis. 

When drafting a strategy, the Consultant shall, inter alia, take into account the requirements of: 

1. CMU Regulation and CMU Resolution of 13 August 2025, No. 853-r; 
2. PIM legislation and reform agenda; 
3. Ukrainian recovery framework; 
4. EU integration frameworks (Chapter 1 – Public Administration Reform, Chapter 5 – Public Procurement, Chapter 22 – Regional development), Ukraine Facility, EU-Ukraine Association Agreement etc.; 
5. Applicable EU acquis, including EU Regulation 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation), in particular Management and Control System requirements; 
6. JASPERS methodologies for project preparation and major project appraisal; 
7. OECD and World Bank good practices in PIM, public procurement, and institutional reform. 

Deliverables 

Qualification 

The assignment shall be carried out by a qualified Contractor with demonstrated experience in supporting public sector institutions in the design, development, and implementation of strategic and policy documents. The Contractor may be an individual expert(s), a company, or a non-governmental organisation. 

The assignment shall be implemented under the overall leadership of a Team Leader (Senior Strategy Development Expert), who will be responsible for strategy development, coordination, quality assurance, and liaison with SARDI, MCTD, EU4Reconstruction and other key stakeholders. Senior Infrastructure Expert and Senior Public Finance and PIM Expert shall provide relevant expertise to ensure the strategy follows best practices in infrastructure development and PIM. 

Key experts must comply with the following requirements: 

Key expert 1: Senior Strategy Development Expert (Team Lead) 

General Qualifications 

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Public Administration, Organizational Development, Law, or a related field; 
• At least 5 years of experience in the development and implementation of institutional strategies for public institutions; 
• Participation in at least 2 projects related to public sector reforms, including institutional transformations of central executive authorities, or corporate governance; 

Adequacy for the assignment 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to prepare analytical reports, policy documents, and training materials. 
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex institutional environments and coordinate with multiple stakeholders. 
• Experience in and knowledge of Ukrainian infrastructure and recovery system and legislation, as well as PIM, will be an asset; 
• Previous leadership roles in public institutions will be an asset; 

Experience in the region and language 

• Fluency in Ukrainian language; 
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English. 

Key Expert 2: Senior Infrastructure Expert 

General Qualifications 

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Engineering, Infrastructure Planning, Transport Economics, Public Works, or a related field; 
• At least 7 years of professional experience in infrastructure development, infrastructure policy, or project preparation in the public sphere; 
• Practical experience of managing and/or implementing budget and donor-funded infrastructure projects. 

Adequacy for the Assignment 

• Deep knowledge of Ukraine’s infrastructure, recovery, and reconstruction system, relevant legislation, 
• Construction-related certification will be an asset; 
• Experience engaging with government and municipal institutions on institutional development and cavity building projects will be an asset; 

Experience in the Region and Language 

• Fluency in the Ukrainian language; 
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English will be an asset. 

Key Expert 3: Senior Public Finance and PIM Expert 

General Qualifications 

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Economics, Finance, Public Finance, Public Administration, or a related field; 
• At least 5 years of professional experience in public finance, budgeting, financial analysis, or financial management; 
• Practical experience of working with the government institution in budget planning, accounting, financial management and/or oversight roles; 

Adequacy for the Assignment 

• Knowledge of Ukraine’s public finance system, budget processes, public investment management, and EU financial requirements; 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to prepare analytical reports, strategic inputs, and policy documents; 
• Experience engaging with government and municipal institutions on institutional development and capacity building projects will be an asset; 
• Experience in managing and implementing budget and donor-funded infrastructure projects will be an asset. 

Experience in the Region and Language 

• Fluency in the Ukrainian language; 
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English will be an asset. 

In addition to the above core roles, the Tender may propose additional specialists as deemed necessary to ensure full coverage of all requirements described in this ToR. 

The composition of the team, including proposed additional experts, shall be justified in the technical proposal and will be subject to assessment by the EU4Reconstruction Stream 2 during the evaluation process. 

Any substitution of key experts during contract execution shall be subject to prior written approval by the EU4Reconstruction Stream 2 team. 

Budget, timeframe, and location 

The maximum budget available for this assignment is EUR 30,000 (inclusive of all applicable expenses and taxes). This amount includes project-related costs, for example, basic technical assessment and printing. Renting facilities for strategic sessions, workshops and related catering services will be covered separately (subject to separate arrangement). 

Proposals, where the Contract Price offered exceeds the above maximum budget, will be rejected. 

Payment will be made in a maximum of three instalments. 

The first payment, up to 30% of the total contract value, will be made as a prepayment after contract signing and upon receipt of the contractor’s updated work plan, strategy development methodology (deliverables 1 and 2) and completion of the kick-off meeting. 

The second payment, up to 40% of the total contract value, will be made upon delivery of the first version of the Strategy (deliverable 6). 

The third and final payment, up to 30% of the total contract value, will be made upon delivery of the final version of the Strategy and all other deliverables listed above, and the Final Invoice. 

The Final version of the Strategy with Action Plan and supporting documents should be developed within 6 months upon signing of the Contract. The overall tentative duration of the assignment should not exceed 8 months. 

Reporting and management 

The performance of the Consultant will be judged upon reaching the purpose of this contract as well as obtaining its results, as indicated in the section “Objective” and “Deliverables” herein, respectively. Moreover, the performance of the Consultant will be judged upon the successful implementation of all the specific activities indicated in Section “Scope of work” of this document. 

By signing the contract, the Consultant agrees to hold in trust and confidence any information or documents (“confidential information”) disclosed to the Consultant or discovered by the 

Consultant or prepared by the Consultant in the course of or as a result of the implementation of the contract, and agrees that it shall be used only for the contract implementation and shall not be disclosed to any third party. The Consultant also agrees not to retain copies of any written information or prototypes in its archive and for its use. 

The consultant will report to the Project Manager for the SARDI Strategic Development, who will review/approve the deliverables indicated above. The Consultant’s primary focal point at SARDI will be the Deputy Head responsible for the strategy development. 

How to apply 

The deadline for submitting the proposal is 27 February 2026, 18:00 Kyiv time. 

All interested candidates should submit the following documents in English: 

1. Completed Annex 1, including:  CV for Key staff (Section 3), Supplier’s Technical Proposal / Methodology (Section 4) and Workplan (Sections 5). 
2. Financial offer (Annex 2, forms 1 and 2) in EUR, including daily fee and other related expenses (taxes, if applicable), with calculation of a maximum 210 working days. 

If these documents are not submitted in line with the requirements above, the bid will not be considered. 

The proposal shall include the aforementioned information and should be submitted within the above deadline to [email protected] cc to [email protected] indicating the subject line: “SARDI strategy development”. 

Bidding language: English. 

Any clarification questions regarding the terms of reference should be addressed to [email protected] cc to [email protected], not later than 20 February 2026, 18-00 Kyiv time. 

Evaluation criteria 

Details:  TOR for Development of the Strategy for the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine for 2027–2029.